Messages from Miranda
by MoonSword1994
Summary: James Vega gets a rather unexpected and pleasant message from one of the most unlikely people: Miranda Lawson. One shot (for now maybe), takes places during the early events of my other story Beginning Anew. Rated M for a very good reason. Read and review!
1. Who the Hell is This?

"Hey, Esteban!" shouted James Vega from the front of the tattoo parlor, "I'm going to head home, unless of course you expect me to do something before I leave."

Even from the great distance between them, James could still hear Steve audibly sigh from the back office before he exited the room, a look of irritation quite evident on his face when he saw James standing by the door.

"Vega, have you cleaned the seats?" asked Steve, his arms crossed as he looked at James.

"Yep, with water and disinfectant," replied James happily as he reached for the doorknob.

"Did you write down which inks we have to purchase before the next delivery?" asked Steve, smirking at James' disappointed face.

"Yes," sighed James, he really wanted to get home and he knew Steve was just stalling the inevitable.

"Did you schedule the next appointments and the follow ups?" asked Steve, now slowly pacing, still watching James.

"Yes, the new appointments are in the red book and the follow ups are in the green one," sighed James, "just like you told me they should be."

"Good, very good, James," said Steve, nodding in approval.

"Is there anything else, Esteban?" groaned James as his hands twitched towards the door handle again.

"No, Vega, you're good to go," sighed Steve, smiling as he waved him off, "I'll finish lock up and see you tomorrow."

"Thanks, Esteban, you're the best," said James as he exited the tattoo parlor and got into his skycar. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel in time with the song on the radio as he drove along the quite streets of Vancouver, he was halfway tempted to take a long detour to see Elissa Shepard but thought better of it when he saw the late hour on his dashboard clock. When he pulled into his driveway he sighed out of relief, it had been a long day at the shop, it seemed every kid that had survived the war was joining the Alliance and wanted a tattoo to show how much of a badass they had become. The day got even longer when the kids found out that he and Steve had worked with Commander Shepard and they sat for a good three hours telling war stories while the kids got their tattoos.

_'Kids, damn, when did eighteen mean that?'_ wondered James as he got out of his car and walked into his house, suddenly aware of how quiet it was around him. Most nights he would go over to Elissa's and hang out with her and Kaidan until they kicked him out and he was usually too tired to even notice how quiet his house was.

"Man, maybe I should've stopped over there," said James miserably as he slung his jacket into the armchair in the living room and he went to kitchen to find something to eat, finding some leftover spare ribs from last night's dinner with Elissa and Kaidan he grabbed them and threw them in the microwave for about two minutes. Leaning against the counter he started to think about what he had to do tomorrow at the shop when his omni-tool beeped, activating it he saw a new message from an unknown address:

_To: Lieutenant James Vega_

_From: LawBringerSR2_

_Subject: [No Subject]_

_James,_

_I just wanted to say, it was good seeing you at the ceremony, I heard about you and Cortez going into business for yourselves while you're on extended shore leave and I have to say it's a bold move. That being said, I think you and Cortez might be the only two stubborn enough and passionate enough to make it work. Anyway, just wanted to say 'Hi' and that's it._

James stared at the message wondering who in hell had sent it, there was no signature except the screen name and even that was still puzzling, but the message was too enticing to resist.

_To: LawBringerSR2_

_From: Lieutenant James Vega_

_Subject: Who the hell is this?_

_LawBringerSR2,_

_You seem to have the advantage, you know me but I don't know you, do you think you could enlighten me to your identity?_

_Patiently waiting,_

_James Vega_

He waited a few seconds, pulling his ribs out of the microwave when he heard the beep of his omni-tool again.

_To: Lieutenant James Vega_

_From: Miranda Lawson_

_Subject: RE: Who the hell is this?_

_James,_

_Now you know._

_Miranda_

James' jaw dropped when he read the name, he had never expected to hear from Miranda, it had been weeks since the ceremony and even then they had barely spoken a hundred words over the course of that weekend. His curiosity was now piqued enough to reply again though with some trepidation, she had always intimidated him with her icy glares and know-it-all attitude, but now he felt somewhat safer since he could not see her clear blue eyes staring him down. The thought of her eyes roaming his body sent a pleasant chill down his spine as he typed his next message.

_To: Miranda Lawson_

_From: Lieutenant James Vega_

_Subject: RE: Who the hell is this?_

_Miranda,_

_I hadn't expected to hear from you, what a pleasant surprise! How've you been? What have you been up to these last few weeks, Lola doesn't tell me too much, but she obviously tells you enough if you know about the tattoo parlor. How's your little sister, Oriana was it, is she still in school? Things have been crazy here lately, it's like every kid in Vancouver that can enlist has and now wants a tattoo to celebrate!_

_Sincerely,_

_James_

James smiled as he sent the message, expecting a decent amount of time before her response, he grabbed his plateful of ribs, a beer, and some extra barbeque sauce then sat down at his kitchen table. Suddenly he heard his omni-tool sound off and he dropped his rib in surprise, wiping his hands on a napkin quickly before opening up the message, rather impressed with her speedy reply.

_To: Lieutenant James Vega_

_From: Miranda Lawson_

_Subject: RE: Who the hell is this?_

_James,_

_I've been doing well, ever since the war ended and the relay's got back online, I've been doing some missionary work by helping colonies that were left devastated by the Reapers and even some of the colonies that the Collectors had hit. Right now actually I'm on Horizon supervising the rebuilding on their defense systems, it's rather exciting work actually watching the effect my work is having on these colonists. I know that sounds incredibly selfish but after having worked with Cerberus and seeing my work destroy millions of lives, it feels great to see it go towards a much better course of work. Yes, Lisa did tell me about your tattoo parlor and that you and Cortez are doing an amazing job and are never short on customers. I have noticed the young soldiers, some of them are stationed here as part of the guard unit just in case raiders or pirates show up. Oriana is doing very well, I talk with her just about every night before I go to bed, so far school is going fine though she is slacking a bit in her Early Earth History class I've spoken to her about that though so I'll expect better grades. _

_Other than the tattoo parlor, what have you been up to, Lisa only tells me so much? Is she still with Major Alenko? What about the rest of the crew?_

_Sincerely,_

_Miranda_

James smirked as he started to type his reply, hoping to match her speed just to impress her more.

_To: Miranda Lawson_

_From: Lieutenant James Vega_

_Subject: RE: Who the hell is this?_

_Miranda,_

_Sounds like you're doing a lot of incredible work, glad to hear those brains aren't going to waste, and no it's not selfish to take pride in the work you're doing. Anyway, glad to hear about Oriana, after what she went through I'm glad her life is back to normal she and you have both earned that chance. I've been so busy with the shop there's barely anytime for me to get a decent workout in, lucky for me Esteban doesn't care if I do some pull ups in my office as long as I don't neglect my work. Lola is still with Kaidan, they seem to be doing well except they're getting into a few more arguments than before, or maybe I'm just around more often so I hear what was probably happening in private. Joker and EDI have an apartment not too far from Lola's place, and the rest of the crew visits most days though they spend a lot of time off world doing their usual jobs. _

_Sincerely,_

_James_

James went back to his food, hoping to get at least a few bites in before Miranda's next reply, wondering what had possessed her to message him out of the blue. He managed to finish half of his ribs and two beers before his omni-tool beeped again, he was rather shocked it had taken her so long to reply to a reasonably short message.

_To: Lieutenant James Vega_

_From: Miranda Lawson_

_Subject: RE: Who the hell is this?_

_James,_

_Sorry it took so long to reply, a few of my workers came by asking about what the itinerary is for tomorrow, and it took longer than I thought it would. Anyway, I'm glad to hear that Lisa and Major Alenko and the rest of the old crew are doing well, I miss them a lot more than I thought I would especially given where our loyalties were. I have to go now, there's a lot to do tomorrow and as much as I have enjoyed talking with you, I have a duty to my crew to be at a hundred percent while working with eezo cores. I'll message you tomorrow hopefully._

_Sincerely,_

_Miranda_

James smiled to himself as he made ready for bed, it really had been an unexpected pleasure messaging Miranda that night, it had definitely made him feel less alone and he was able to catch up with her as if they were friends instead of allies. Laying in bed, his arms tucked underneath his head, he could not help but think of Miranda's piercing blue eyes and the dark wavy hair, not to mention her curves that seemed to never end. He moaned in pleasure as he felt his body react the only way it could, his member becoming erect as he continued to think about how easily her tight uniform would peel away from her milky white skin.

_'Shit, Vega, stop now!'_ he commanded himself, trying to erase the images that just popped into his head of her luscious pink lips working their way down his body starting at his neck and traveling to places he had only dreamed of a woman kissing. He groaned, it was going to be a very long and painful night if he did not do something about it right now, gripping his throbbing manhood in his hands he started to slowly pump his hand. Thinking now only of Miranda and how it would feel to be taken in by her completely, the feel of her gripping his erection as he thrust deep inside, the primal moan that would escape her beautiful mouth and the pert breasts that would bounce in front of his face, he felt his release sooner than he would have liked. Using his discarded T-shirt to clean up, he felt himself shudder in pleasure, that had been the best personal time he had had in a very long time. Turning over, he wished that Miranda was laying in his arms, now he was hoping that sometime in the future that could happen.

* * *

**A/N: This was just an idea I had while I was writing the more recent Beginning Anew chapter. I've been considering writing a Miranda/James story probably from the start of the ME3 events instead of after. Either way, let me know what you guys think!**


	2. Busy Day

"So, what's it going to be, kid?" asked James as he pulled out his sketchpad, ready to draw the crazy tattoo design he knew was coming from the nineteen year old sitting in his chair right now.

"I want a Reaper fighting a thresher maw!" said the young man excitedly, "That was my favorite of Shepard's battles, just the thought of it sounds amazing."

James chuckled to himself, this was one of their most commonly requested tattoo designs, but he was not about to tell him that instead he looked back at his past sketches and found a way to change up the design so he had a unique touch.

"I heard you were there," said the young man, squirming slightly with impatience as James quickly sketched the design and began transferring it to the paper that was used to place the design on the skin.

"I was, _companero_," said James as he put the paper on the kid's back, calculating in his head how long this tattoo would actually take and how many sessions would have to be scheduled.

"What was it like to be there with Commander Shepard?" asked the young man, obviously awestruck, "I've heard she's the best soldier the Alliance has."

"She's unlike any woman I've ever met," said James, pulling away the paper, "and the galaxy is lucky she's on their side." He prepared the tattoo machine with the black ink the kid had selected earlier for the outline, although he loved to brag about Elissa Shepard and their missions, hearing her being talked about by these young man always made him tense.

"I think I saw her once," said the young man, flinching slightly as James started applying the ink, "She has the finest ass in the galaxy, I swear it had its own orbit—"

James pressed the needle in his back a little harder, cutting the kid off, and he gave a satisfied smirk when the kid nearly cried, Elissa was like a sister to him and hearing her talked about with such disrespect was not only unacceptable but a just reason for causing these kids a little bit of discomfort.

"You really don't want to finish that sentence, _chico_," said James a slight edge to his tone as he continued with the outline.

"Yes, sir," said the young man, and James knew he had learned his lesson, he was grateful it was a quick one sometimes the other kids tried to say something else just to feel the needle harder in their skin.

"So, what's your name?" asked James, wiping away some blood that was beading up on the kid's back from where the needle had been.

"Brendan Walters," said Brendan, settling back in the seat.

"Well, Walters," said James, examining his handiwork, "Why did you decide to join the Alliance? I mean you're what, nineteen? Maybe you should go off somewhere for school."

"School's not my thing," replied Brendan as James wiped away some more blood, "I prefer holding a gun to a pencil any day."

"Whatever works for you, _companero_," sighed Vega, ever since he had started talking with the kids that came into the shop getting ready to leave for Alliance basic, he was finding that more and more they were avoiding school in favor of what they thought was a more meaningful life. If only they knew about the pressure to perform daring acts of bravery or how there was hardly anytime for a social life of any kind with all of the drills and early morning PT sessions or how hard it was to watch a comrade die by a bullet that was meant for you instead. James dwelled on the many things being in the Alliance had taken away from him and what little compensation he had been given in return, being stationed with Elissa on the _Normandy_ with all of the others was the biggest payoff he had ever received for his service, especially when it had led him to Miranda.

* * *

"You need to stop getting so upset whenever someone talks about Shepard," said Steve as he turned the sign to 'Close' after a long twelve hour day, "You'll scar so many people we won't have a business anymore."

"Sorry, Esteban," said James as he wrote down the next set of follow ups, "but someone talks about Lola's ass like that Walters kid was doing and they're fair game in my book."

"I understand, James," said Steve as he wiped down the chair nearest him, "it's hard to listen to it sometimes but you just have to grin and bear it, if anything write 'asshole' in Prothean instead of 'warrior'."

"Is that was you do, Esteban?" asked James smirking at Steve who gave him a sly grin in response, "I might do that, hell, it's probably better than tattooing their bones when they piss me off."

"Anything to generate more business," said Steve sarcastically, "I got a call from Elissa last night, she and Kaidan had another falling out, so she vented to me."

James gave a low whistle, "That's the third one in the last two weeks, what was it about?"

"Something about gin rummy with Joker," said Steve, shaking his head, "From what I could gather from the long stream of profanities, Kaidan isn't too happy that she and Joker spend several hours playing gin rummy, sometimes being gone until almost four in the morning."

"They used to do that on the _Normandy_," said James slightly surprised, "I mean, Alenko and I would play poker and she would play gin with Joker in the mess, why is it a big deal now?"

"I guess Elissa's just as surprised as we are," said Steve as he took the money out of the register, "I told her not to take his crap and play cards for as long as she liked, but I guess she is going to try and negotiate with him."

"That's Lola for you, always the peace maker," chuckled James, though he secretly wished that she would knock Kaidan on his ass for some of the crap he had been saying recently.

"Any big plans?" asked Steve, looking up from the cash register, "Maybe you could come to my party this weekend, you know it's at Elissa's place on the Citadel and is always full of beautiful women."

"No thanks, Esteban," said James, feeling himself get a little hot under the collar, it always seemed like Steve was trying to set him up with almost anyone nowadays no matter how many times he protested, "I'm probably going to hang out with Garrus or Lola and get a few workouts in before you get back planetside."

"Fine," sighed Steve, "you know, James, you're going to have to get back into the dating world sometimes the extranet can only get you so far."

"Tell that to Joker," muttered James as he put his leather jacket on, preparing to leave.

"I will next time I see him," said Steve, "Have a nice night, James."

"You too, Esteban," said James as he left the parlor.

* * *

James arrived home to find a few messages waiting for him on his omni-tool, ordinarily he left it at home so there would not be any distractions from any incoming messages from people. He put it on and opened the console, scrolling through, there were a few messages from interested clients and a virtual poker invite from Kaidan nothing too pressing until he saw the most recent message and who it was from: Miranda. His heart gave a lurch when he read her name on the screen and he immediately opened the message, almost expecting an informal letter explaining her actions the other night.

_To: Lieutenant James Vega_

_From: Miranda Lawson_

_Subject: Busy Day_

_James,_

_What a day I had! First the eezo cores started to malfunction for unknown reasons until we discovered that they were expired and likely to implode with the slightest of movement of the inside core. Then I find out that some of the supplies the colonists need is being horded by this bat-shit crazy hermit who is still convinced the war is going on and started firing at anyone who approached his home. Luckily I was able to subdue him with not only my words but with a demonstration of my biotics as well, he willing gave back all of the supplies he had stolen and even a few of his own weapons. I had to file a report to Admiral Hackett about the incident, since he is the one in charge of defense and is responsible for threats against the colonists, which went better than I expected. Reordering the eezo cores proved harder than I thought, most suppliers are sending what they have to the Citadel and other worlds that lost many ships in the war. I swear I run into xenophobia more from aliens than from humans! The moment you tell the merchant that you want to send the shipment to a purely human colony, they automatically don't have anything in stock! Enough of my ramblings, how was your day? Any interesting tattoos or news from Lisa?_

_Sincerely,_

_Miranda_

James smiled, although he was not used to her being so informal, it was definitely a great change of pace, he was quick to reply hoping she was still awake to read it.

_To: Miranda Lawson_

_From: Lieutenant James Vega_

_Subject: RE: Busy Day_

_Miranda,_

_I can relate to the busy day, I just had the longest twelve hour day of my life! Not even those long hours spent cleaning and calibrating weapons can compare to this day, I had one kid come in and ask for a tattoo of the Normandy SR-2 on his back, then one wanted a thresher maw fighting a Reaper, and another insisted that he had to have Harbinger on his forearm. I had never done so many large body tattoos in one day, my hand was cramping up by the time I got to my simplest tattoo which was one of a Hanar being shot by Turian soldier, don't ask me why, I just get paid regardless of their tacky taste in ink. Then I had to listen to these punk ass cabrons talk about Lola like she was a piece of meat instead of a war hero, don't worry, I got back at them in my own special way. Esteban was telling me about a call he got from Lola last night, apparently she and Kaidan had another fight this one was about her playing gin rummy with Joker for several hours. This is the third fight in just the last two weeks, I hope everything is alright between them, though she should learn to smack him down verbally instead of trying to negotiate a deal with him. When are you going to be back on Earth?_

_Sincerely,_

_James_

As soon as he sent the message he knew she would take it as a date or as a lead on for a hook up, he really wanted to send a message explaining what he had meant but he knew that would just make everything worse. Instead he went into the kitchen and grabbed a meal shake from the refrigerator and headed upstairs, ready to just crash into bed after his quick dinner when his omni-tool pinged. Opening up the console he saw a message from Miranda, and he eagerly opened it, hoping she was not angry with him for asking when she would be on Earth.

_To: Lieutenant James Vega_

_From: Miranda Lawson_

_Subject: RE: Busy Day_

_James,_

_I cannot believe some of the tattoos people are getting just because they are going off to basic training, you'd think they were going to be in an actual war instead of being inspired by one. I hear talk all of the time about Lisa and I usually trip anyone with my biotics who speaks inappropriately about her, which usually does the trick. I hope Lisa and the Major are alright, thinking about them fighting is heartbreaking when you consider all they have been through together and all they have suffered. I'm actually going to be on Earth in a few days, the mission I work with likes to rotate people in the field even if it is just for a couple of days, and I heard Steve was throwing a party on the Citadel so I might be just grabbing a ride there so not much time to socialize I'm afraid. Are you going to be there? Maybe we can catch up, it'd be great seeing you again, just let me know._

_Sincerely,_

_Miranda_

James felt his heartbeat quicken, she actually wanted to see him, and in a social context instead of a professional one. The party Elissa had thrown a few months ago had not been the best time to really try and get to know Miranda, since there was the possibility of humanity and all other organic life being wiped out completely. Now he felt like he was getting a second chance, maybe it was just a brief moment and she would tell him to not message her or think of being with her in anyway, but right now he had this hope of just seeing her and that was more than he had ever had before.

_To: Miranda Lawson_

_From: Lieutenant James Vega_

_Subject: RE: Busy Day_

_Miranda,_

_Yeah, I'll be there at the party, it'll be great to see you again it has been way too long since the last time. I hope your day is better tomorrow, I'm going to sign off before I fall asleep on you, good night._

_Sincerely,_

_James_

He sent the message and climbed into bed wearing nothing but his boxers, he made a mental note to tell Steve that he was going to be there at the party, just before he closed his eyes he heard his omni-tool sound off he looked at the message through slightly clouded eyes.

_To: Lieutenant James Vega_

_From: Miranda Lawson_

_Subject: RE: Busy Day_

_James,_

_I look forward to seeing you, I'll be the one wearing a pink dress._

_Sincerely,_

_Miranda_

James smiled slightly as he put his omni-tool on his bedside table and settled himself in bed, thinking of seeing Miranda in a tight pink dress and then how she would look falling out of it and into his waiting arms.


	3. Leaving Horizon

"Hey, big guy!" called Joker as he walked into the tattoo parlor, "Long time no see!"

"Hey, Joker!" shouted James, startling the customer in the seat, "Come on back, we can talk while I work."

"Is that safe?" asked Joker, sitting in the chair across from James, "I mean, you are responsible for a needle in someone else's skin, wouldn't talking distract you?"

"Nah, it's part of the job description," said James as he outlined a Geth on the kid's upper arm, "If I don't talk, then the time passes really slowly and I might screw up just because I'm bored."

Joker laughed at the panic on the kid's face, "So are you going to Cortez's party this weekend?"

James barely glanced up from his work, talking about distractions, he had been trying to keep the party far away from his mind as the image of Miranda in a tight pink dress always was prominent in his mind's eye.

"I might be going," said James trying to sound neutral on the subject as he wiped blood from the kid's skin, "Are you and EDI going?"

"EDI is, I'm not," said Joker, thumbing through James' sketchbook, "I have a few deliveries to make to Arcturus and as fun as Steve's parties are, I need the money, EDI's shopping habit is getting out of hand."

"Don't you collect your paycheck like the rest of us do?" asked James, switching to a new needle for the next color.

"Yeah, but like I said, EDI's shopping habit is getting out of hand," said Joker frowning, "We have two storage units full of the crap she buys, so between that, the rent, and paying for the basics I have very little money on hand."

"Can't you just tell her to stop?" asked James prepping the new ink color, "I mean, doesn't she know what she's doing is crazy?"

"No," sighed Joker looking at the Normandy tattoo design, "She reasons that everything she buys can be used at some point and that money can be replaced. My nerves are raw, she's been irritating me so much."

"I guess that's been going around," said James thinking of Elissa and Kaidan, "Lola's having her own troubles with Kaidan, I'm sure you already know that."

"Yeah," said Joker glumly, "No more late night games of gin, and they were getting fun too, we started playing for money to make it more interesting which we were told to stop doing too. Hell, maybe it's a good thing we stopped playing for money though, more for EDI to waste—I mean spend responsibly." He smiled but James could see there was no mirth behind it and was more for show than anything.

"But I still get to play poker with the Major whenever I want even if it's at three a.m. and _he_ gets to protest when _she_ plays with you for just as long?" said James, slightly irritated, "That makes so much sense."

"Damn," said the kid in the chair, obviously wanting to get a word in and sound adult in any way, "sounds like he put her in her place."

Joker glared at the kid in the seat, "You don't simply put this woman in her place, this is Commander Shepard, this is the one who puts everyone else in their place."

The kid shrunk down into his chair, uncomfortable by the tone in Joker's voice and he jumped in the chair, "Shit! Watch how hard you push that damn needle, dude!"

"Whatever you say," said James calmly but he winked at Joker who smirked as he continued to look through the sketches, "See one you like?"

"Several, but all unaffordable at this moment in time," said Joker hardly glancing up when the door chimed open and they heard a mad scramble from the sitting area.

"Commander Shepard!" they heard a few of the customers exclaim, Joker and James merely chuckled, they were used to hearing this whenever they went out with her or she came to visit them in public. The customers out front bombarded her with questions and compliments but she walked passed them and into the back room where James and Joker were sitting.

"Hola, Lola," said James, smiling up at her as she stood in front of the chair the kid was sitting in, "How are you on this lovely day?"

"Faring well, James, thanks for asking," said Elissa trying to sound cheerful, "Hey, Joker, you should've told me you were coming too."

"Honestly, this was a detour," said Joker blushing slightly and he buried his nose further in the sketchbook, "I was headed home when I remembered EDI was there."

"What'd she do now?" asked Elissa, pulling up a chair from Steve's station and sitting down with the back of the chair on her chest.

"Spent most of my paycheck again," grumbled Joker, "This time it wasn't even on something cool like when she bought us that weekend at the ski resort, it was on a really crappy old model terminal station that doesn't even work!"

"You were the one who told her to go shopping like a girly-girl," teased Elissa, "Do you need a loan?"

"I'll find someway to get by, Ellie, I couldn't ask you for money," said Joker softly, and Elissa smiled at him before turning to James.

"Where's Steve at?" asked Elissa taking another sketchbook down from the shelf beside her, "I thought he would be here today."

"Running errands, and I'm not good enough to talk to, Lola?" asked James smirking at her while she rolled her eyes playfully.

"I just needed someone to vent to again," huffed Elissa, stopping at a picture of what looked like her in full armor aiming a Collector particle beam, "Is that supposed to be me?"

James looked over at the sketch she had found and grinned, "My homage to Lola, there are a few others in that one."

"So there are soldiers walking around with my image tattooed on their various body parts?" asked Elissa raising an eyebrow at the kid in the seat.

"Yeah, but not on him though," said James motioning his head at the kid, "he's getting a Legion tattoo."

"Nicely chosen," said Joker and Elissa nodded approvingly.

"Commander Shepard," said the kid nervously, "can I ask you a question?"

"Of course," said Elissa, smiling warmly at the young recruit.

"Could you tell me about what you did on Elysium during the Blitz?" asked the kid and James wished he had kept his mouth shut.

Elissa stared out in space for a few seconds before responding, "I was walking out of a store when the ships first appeared in the sky, at first no one panicked, the colonists were used to seeing ships suddenly in the sky and it wasn't until the first shots were fired that people started to run. I was lucky that a few of my squad was with me at the time and I ordered three of them to take the civilians to safety while the rest of us ran to our weapons we had left in the shuttle, some of the colonists had stayed behind, refusing to leave their homes and jobs. I told them to either leave or fight, fortunately they agreed to fight and told them follow my orders, then I handed my pistol to one and my sniper to another, the rest of the squad doing similar. I ordered anyone whom had a sniper rifle to run into a building and take position from the roof, the ones that had pistols I placed close to where the mercs and pirates were coming from, making use of the short range, their job was to get anyone whom got passed my squad. My squad and I were positioned in front of the colonists and from those various positions we were able to create a decent wall between the colony and the mercs that lasted until reinforcements arrived. I lost two people that day but I made sure each of those colonists that fought with me were given recognition for their selflessness and heroics, and the ones I lost I made sure were honored as heros."

James knew that was not the entire story, she had glossed over the parts where she had to pull frightened children out of their homes and force them to go with the other adults to safety, and shooting a deserter whom had been her best friend not to mention the other person she lost was a teenager who had thrown himself in front of her to save her from a bullet. She had made the story sound like the report, the truth was far too painful for her to relieve, he knew that much after having been told the actual story himself several months ago. In her own way, she honored the brave by recounting the story in glowing terms and she honored the dead by leaving them to rest in peace by not dragging their names out for all of the galaxy to know.

"Wow," breathed the kid, his eyes were sparkling with admiration, "I can't wait for something like that to happened to me."

James groaned and he heard Joker sigh, neither wanted to look at Elissa's face, they knew how she behaved whenever someone glorified the gruesome truth of war.

"I hope you never have to," said Elissa, her tone sharp, "Watching people die around you or get injured by a bullet you knew was meant for you is an unimaginable circumstance that you never get used to seeing. Being an Alliance soldier is not about the glory of winning against impossible odds, it's about doing your duty and serving those who cannot protect themselves, you are the defender of the weak and the inspiration of hope when all seems lost. Never join any army if you're just seeking a sentence in the history books, because what they don't tell you in school is that for every hero mentioned in war, there are a hundred dead men behind them."

James stared at Elissa, he had never heard that speech before, but it certainly seemed to have the affect on the kid she had wanted it to.

"I'm sorry, Commander," said the kid, casting his eyes down, "I'll try to live up to the example of excellence you have established as a solider and not as a war hero."

Elissa smiled and patted the kid's shoe, "Just don't become a glory seeker, that never ends well for anyone."

The kid nodded and James continued on with the tattoo, the conversation becoming more pleasant as the afternoon waned on, Elissa, Joker and James took turns telling stories to the customers until Steve returned near closing time and he chased Joker and Elissa out.

"C'mon, Steve, can't you let us stay?" asked Joker as he and Elissa made their way to the door, Steve ushering them out.

"Yeah, Esteban, have a heart," called James from the front desk.

"I'm sorry, but we're closing up soon," said Steve, and he turned to Elissa, "Vega said something about venting, you can call me later and vent then."

"It's alright, I'm feeling better now," said Elissa, glancing at both Joker and James, "I should be getting back anyway, Kaidan's making grilled fish for dinner and I promised to pick up some wine on the way home."

"Mind if I tag along?" asked Joker hopefully, "I haven't had a decent meal in a few days and the Major's cooking is better than EDI's."

"Fine with me," said Elissa, as Joker held the door open for her, "Bye, James, bye Steve! See you later."

"Bye, Lola! Bye, Joker!" called James as Steve locked the door behind them.

"How much work did you actually get done with those two sitting at your station?" asked Steve shaking his head as he walked to the counter.

"Got through all of my appointments and yours, _amigo_," said James triumphantly as he carried out his usually closing duties, "Where were you all day? Usually running errands takes you only an hour at most, you were gone most of the day, Esteban."

Steve drummed his fingers nervously on the counter, not making eye contact with James, "I was meeting someone." His tone and body language suggested the meeting had been far more personal than he was going to admit.

James' eyes widened in realization, Steve had been on a date, "Want to talk about it?"

Steve looked up at James and shook his head, "Not right now, it went well but I'm still not sure, I mean I still love Robert and everything."

"Esteban, would Robert honestly want you to be alone for the rest of your life?" asked James kindly, putting his large hand on Steve's shoulder.

"No, I guess not," sighed Steve and James knew that was a huge step for him to admit that truth, "I might give this guy a chance, but don't tell anyone else, okay? I'm not really a fan of everyone asking me about every detail of my personal life, like they do EDI and Joker or Elissa and Kaidan."

"Your secret's safe with me, _amigo_," said James happily, pulling on his leather jacket, "Now, I'm going to go home and you're going to schedule a second date with this guy."

Steve smiled, "Alright, thanks for the pep-talk, Vega I really needed one."

"Anytime, Esteban," said James as he stepped through the front door, "Oh, I'm going to your party on Saturday."

"Nice, you can get a ride with me, we'll head out tomorrow after work," said Steve and James left, a huge grin on his face.

* * *

When he arrived home, James immediately went to check his omni-tool and was thrilled to see a message waiting for him from Miranda, and he opened it instantly.

_To: Lieutenant James Vega_

_From: Miranda Lawson_

_Subject: Leaving Horizon_

_James,_

_I wanted to message you and inform you that I am currently en-route for Earth, having left Horizon and her repairs in the hands of one of my colleagues. It seems my leaving was what everyone had been wishing for, or so the nasty messages from some of the colonists seemed to imply, somehow they had found out I had not only worked for Cerberus but was the daughter of the man responsible for creating Sanctuary. I swear there was a lynch mob after me if I had not left the colony when I did, maybe it was a bad idea to do my missionary work there, too much bad blood between us. I doubt Lisa would be well received there, but I'm sure Major Alenko would be chased off world if he arrived, they use his picture as a dart board! I saw a few other Alliance soldiers pinned up there as well, one of them being Admiral Hackett and Councilor Anderson! I wish I had known about that before I volunteered for that position._

_How has your day been?_

_Sincerely,_

_Miranda_

James frowned, this news about Horizon was troubling at best, he made a mental note to tell Elissa to avoid going to the colony right now until things had calmed down.

_To: Miranda Lawson_

_From: Lieutenant James Vega_

_Subject: RE: Leaving Horizon_

_Miranda,_

_I'm so sorry to hear about your experience on Horizon, that's got to be disappointing, how did they find out about your connection to Cerberus and your father and Sanctuary? I thought all of that was confidential and only the crew and Anderson knew about that stuff. I'll help you find out who leaked the information, if you like. Glad you were able to make it out of there without having to take out any pendejos in the process, if you need a place to stay while you wait for another assignment or figure out who released that data, my house is available but I'll understand if you'd rather stay with Lola. My day was surprisingly good, Joker and Lola stopped by the shop and told war stories to the customers which generated a few more credits in my tip jar than on an ordinary day._

_Sincerely,_

_James_

There was only a few minutes between James' message and Miranda's reply, much to his surprise, though he was happy for it.

_To: Lieutenant James Vega_

_From: Miranda Lawson_

_Subject: RE: Leaving Horizon_

_James,_

_As much as I would like to see you in Vancouver right now, I feel it is imperative that I speak with the people at the missionary headquarters, at least get a lead on how they knew about me. If the lead proves to be promising, I'll follow it, you can help if you want to but there's probably no need since it seems to be a paper trail. I'm glad you had a nice day, I honestly thought we would never get the chance for any more of those. You might not hear from me in the next few days, communications within the missionary's main compound is limited. Now I must go, we arrive in Washington D.C in a few hours and I'm terribly tired._

_Sincerely,_

_Miranda_

_P.S. You should go to the party regardless, I might be able to make it._

James frowned, he did not like the idea of her facing those people alone, if they had access to those confidential files then it sounded like they had powerful friends. He sighed, there was nothing he could do or say to change her mind, that much he knew about Miranda once she was set on a course she could not be persuaded against following it through.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Miranda," whispered James to the quiet of his house, he had never been so concerned about one person before, and though he knew she could handle herself, he was not about to let her go by herself. Opening his omni-tool once again he wrote a message to Steve and Elissa, telling them he was going to leave for a few days and not to worry, he would be home in a few days but he would miss the party and work. Then he went upstairs and packed his duffle bag with some clothes and he went to his closet and pulled out some of his guns and ammunition, he was not sure what he would encounter but he wanted to be ready for anything. With his bags he walked out of his house, jaw set with determination as he loaded his car and climbed in, his skycar would get him there in about seven to eight hours if he left now and traffic was not a problem and if he went above the speed limit, he would just barely meet Miranda in D.C before she walked into whatever trap he thought might be waiting for her there.


	4. Expanding Our Borders

James arrived in Washington D.C around six in the morning, his back and legs ached from being in the same position for the last few hours, even his eyes seemed to burn as if he had rubbed salt in them. He was grateful when he saw the city on the horizon and he knew his journey was at an end, until he realized he had never asked Miranda which mission she was working with, _'Damn, what do I do now?'_ thought James as he pulled over a few miles from the city. He decided that the only thing he could do was use his omni-tool and conduct an extranet search and find out how many missionaries there were in this city.

_Search Results: 482 missions located in Washington D.C._

James frowned, this was going to be much more difficult than he first thought, so he narrowed his search, looking out the ones that dealt primarily with human colonies such as Horizon.

_Search Results: 15 human colony only missions located in Washington D.C_

_'Why only fifteen?' _thought James as he read the names of the missions, when he clicked on one called Expanding Our Borders, he was brought to the homepage and saw a link to a list of volunteers, he scanned the names not expecting to see Miranda's but there was one name on the list that made him pause it was too much of a coincidence for it not to be her:

_Miranda Shepard, biotics specialist, assisting with defense rebuild._

"Sneaky," chuckled James to himself as he wrote down the address of the mission, "Okay, now all I need is a really good reason to show up there. I'll think of it on the way over."

James drove for another few minutes, barely avoiding the early morning traffic, and saw the building he was looking for; it was rather large for a mission, there were stained glass windows, and what looked like gold filigree decorating the grey bricks. If he had not known it was a mission, he would have thought it was a well funded cathedral, he parked his skycar in an alley about a block away from the entrance and walked towards the building, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. He made sure that what weapons he was bringing in with him were well hidden underneath his leather jacket, as much as he wanted to protect Miranda, he did not want to bring unwanted attention to himself by walking in armed to the nines with questionable gear. When he got to the door he looked around one last time before turning the handle and walking in, fully aware of how stupid this idea was the ammunition that jingled in his pocket reminding him of such, how he hoped there would not be any metal detectors waiting on the other side of these large oak doors.

The entrance hall was amazing, there were columns and pillars running down the walkway, the marble floors gleamed in the early morning light which was accented by the low light emitting from the crystal chandeliers overhead. James looked down and saw the colored light from the stained glass windows, if he had not been so desperate to find Miranda and make sure she was alright he would have stopped to admire the beauty of the entrance, it reminded him so much of the church his _abuela_ used to take him to when he was little before she had died. Luckily, there did not seem to be any metal detectors or anything that might detect the weapons he had strapped to him. As he moved, walking aimlessly down the stretch of polished marble, he heard some guards passing by mention the return of a shuttle from the colony Horizon and he followed them, wanting a few more details.

"Excuse me," called James, catching up with the two guards whom had passed him, "I'm looking for a friend, she asked me to pick her up here, she's arriving from one of the colonies."

"Who's your friend?" asked the guard to James' left, "Do you know which colony she's arriving from?"

"She said she's arriving from the colony Horizon," replied James, not willing to risk giving her name to these men, "Do you know which shuttle she's arriving in on?"

"That shuttle's due to arrive any minute now actually," replied the second guard, checking his data pad, "If you like, we could escort you to the shuttle bay."

"That's alright," said James, brushing him off, trying not to seem too clueless, "Just some basic directions would be a great help."

"Alright," said the first guard, "go down to the end of this walk, turn right and there should be a sign overhead that reads 'Shuttle Bay' and it's pretty straightforward from there."

"Much appreciated, _amigos_," said James, giving them his best fake smile, they nodded in return and headed off somewhere else while James walked down to the end of the walk and turned right. He was surprised to see that the grandeur of the entrance continued throughout the rest of the building, though instead of stained glass there were pictures of various colonies and what appeared to be volunteers standing with the colonists. He saw that he was not the only one there to pick up someone from the incoming shuttle, there were families and what looked like girlfriends and boyfriends walking ahead of him headed towards the shuttle bay.

"I can't wait to see Mandy," said a little girl, she looked up happily at her mother as they walked, "Do you think she brought me a present?"

James smiled to himself, somethings about children never changed, especially their love for souvenirs and presents from people whom were returning from a long trip to a far off place.

"Beth, your sister was there to build homes and give other families a place to live," scolded the mother, "she didn't have any time to go shopping for you."

"But Mandy promised," whined Beth, her walk less energetic than before, "Why would Mandy break her promise?"

"Bethany," said the the mother reproachfully and Beth stopped whining.

"I hope Randy ate alright while he was there," said what sounded like a concerned mother, her voice coming from behind James.

"Diedra, stop fussing," said what sounded like her husband, "He ate what he ate, he was there for work experience not a pleasure cruise."

"Oh hush, Harold," snapped the woman, "I've got the whole menu planned for tonight, first we'll have a nice salad and roasted peppers for an appetizer; roast beef, mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables . . ."

James stopped listening, he was too hungry to continue hearing about the meal that lucky bastard Randy was getting from his parents, he then thought about what to do for Miranda to welcome her back to Earth after being away for so many months. _'There was that nice restaurant I passed on my way here, maybe she'd like a nice breakfast,'_ thought James as he got closer and closer to the shuttle bay. He also started to wonder why he had jumped in his car and raced across the country to meet her when she had explicitly told him his help was not necessary and to stay where he was, _'Because this feels too much like a trap, that's why.'_ When he passed through the door to the shuttle bay, he was again taken aback by how large this area was, the _Normandy_ could fit in this shuttle bay without any trouble. He stood on the platform and looked around, it looked like those old photos of metro stations and airplane hangers that Earth had built several decades ago.

"Arriving, shuttle 3154 from colony Horizon," said the VI, "Stand by for passenger disembark."

James took a few steps back from the platform as he saw a large grey colored shuttle entering the bay area, he felt himself smiling, despite the fact this might be a trap he could still feel butterflies in his stomach as he anticipated Miranda's arrival. He could sense the same anticipation hanging over the crowd, he figured most of these people hadn't seen their loved ones in several weeks and were just as excited as he was.

"Momma!" shouted the little girl Beth from before, "Mandy's coming! Mandy's coming!"

"Yes, sweetheart, she is," said her mother cheerily and James looked back to see her smiling, it seems the prospect at seeing her elder daughter had melted her cold demeanor from before.

The shuttle doors opened and a ramp appeared, connecting the door of the shuttle to the platform, soon there were people running down the ramp and into the waiting arms of their loved ones. James could not help but smile, he remembered how it had been when the war had ended and everyone was hugging on each other and dancing with their sweethearts, even Jacob had taken a very pregnant Brynn and danced her down the street. He stayed rooted to his position as he watched everyone exit the shuttle, he saw a young woman with brown hair run down the platform and back to where Beth and her mother were standing, James turned around, wanting to watch the scene unfold in front of him.

"Mandy!" shouted Beth as she ran up to her older sister and Mandy reached down and scooped Beth into her arms. Their mother followed behind Beth and pulled both of her daughters into a tight embrace, tears were streaming down her cheeks, matching the ones that were glistening on her eldest daughter's.

"I'm so glad you're home, Mandy," said the girls' mother, kissing her daughter's hair.

"It's good to be home, Mom," laughed Mandy, squeezing her little sister against her chest, "I have so many stories to tell you, but first, I have presents for both of you." She put Beth down and reached into her pack, pulling out a small bolt of violet material that appeared to shimmer and move like water and a stuffed Hanar toy.

"What's this?" asked Mandy's mother, examining the material Mandy had handed her.

"Quarian silk," replied Mandy, putting her pack over her shoulder, "There were some traders in the colony one day and I bought a small sample, I thought you might like to use it in some of your dresses."

"You didn't have to, Mandy, but thank you," said her mother, kissing her daughter's cheek.

"Do you like your plushie?" asked Mandy to Beth whom was already spinning the stuffed Hanar by his tentacles.

"It's adorable!" shouted Beth as they started to walk out of the shuttle bay, "I'm going to call it Squishy!"

"Why Squishy?" asked Mandy, taking Beth's hand.

"Because he is squishy," said Beth as if it was the most obvious explanation in the entire galaxy, "Thank you, Mandy, I knew you'd bring me a present."

"You're welcome," laughed Mandy as she and her family walked away.

James smiled and turned back to the shuttle and he came eye to eye with Miranda Lawson, "Miranda—" was all James could get out before Miranda claimed his lips in a hungry kiss, unsure of what to do he tentatively wrapped his arms around her slender waist, pulling her close. When she released her vise like grip on his jacket he was left speechless, and he could barely remember who he was and why he was there in the first place. He looked down into her crystal blue eyes and he could tell there was something amiss, the usual animosity and confidence that sparkled in them was replaced by what seemed to be fear and suspicion.

"Hey baby," said Miranda, her tone uncharacteristically sweet, "I'm glad you're here, I missed you ssssooo much."

James had to mentally shake himself in order to reply, thinking of something to say to go along with what he suspected was part of her plan, "I missed you too, honey bear, did you have a nice trip?"

"It was bearable, I spent most of it thinking about you," said Miranda as she gripped James' hand tightly in her own as they walked out of the shuttle bay, "I'm so glad you came and picked me up, I was going to call you but thought it'd be rude to wake you up."

"You know I'd never pass up the chance to surprise you," said James, and he followed Miranda as she pulled him into a room marked 'Janitor's Closet.'

When she closed the door and switched on the light she immediately became her old self once again, "What the hell are you doing here, Vega? I told you not to come here."

James smirked, he was glad she had not gone completely soft on him, "What's the problem, Lawson? I thought you'd be happy to see me, your messages implied as much."

"I am. . .I just never expected. . . while I'm . . ." stammered Miranda, taken aback by James' argument, "Look, while I'm happy you're here, I'm just not sure why you are."

"I came because this whole situation felt like a trap," said James, physically closing the gap she had created between them, "I just wanted to make sure you were safe."

Miranda looked up at him and was stunned, the last thing she had expected to hear from him was that he wanted her safe, yeah she had sent him those messages but still, "I appreciate the effort, Vega, I really do but this is still crazy."

"C'mon, Lawson," smirked James, "you really thought I was going to stay away when there was an adventure to be had? I wanted to make sure you weren't stirring up too much trouble here, I mean you are prone to it."

Miranda sighed, deeply touched by his gesture, "Well, I'm really not the damsel in distress kind of girl, you know that right?"

"Never took you for one," replied James, "Oh, and before I forget, I've taken the liberty of bringing you a welcome back present." He reached into his jacket and produced a small pistol, pushing it into her hands.

"How many guns do you currently have on you, Vega?" asked Miranda suspiciously as she put the pistol in the waistband of her jeans, covering it with her sweater.

"Wouldn't you like to know," said James winking at her.

"I would," said Miranda taking a step closer to him, a playful smirk across her lips.

"You'll just have to find out for yourself," said James brushing a piece of her ebony hair out of her eyes, a chill running down his spine when his skin brushed across hers.

"I might later," whispered Miranda, she looked up and felt her breath hitch, she was surprised by the warmth that spread throughout her body as his brown eyes met her eyes.

"I'm holding you to that promise, Rosa," purred James and he felt compelled to kiss her but hesitated, he was not sure she would actually want him to since she had kissed him as part of some plan she had cooked up in her mind.

"Rosa?" asked Miranda, raising an eyebrow, "Why'd you call me Rosa?"

"Because you're as lovely and as deadly as a rose," replied James, "Come on, we need to get you out of here."

"Not before I find out how they knew I was actually a Lawson," said Miranda sharply, quietly opening the door.

"Fine, but I'm going with you," said James sternly, and when he saw she was about to protest he added, "and no arguments."

"Fine," grumbled Miranda, secretly happy that he was going with her though she was not about to admit it to him or for that matter herself.


	5. Answers

Miranda opened the door a crack and looked outside, there were not any guards or people in the hallway as far as she could tell and she opened the door further and slowly exited the janitor's closet with James following closely behind. They started walking down the long corridor, both keeping an eye out for something out of the ordinary, as they walked Miranda periodically checked her omni-tool though for what James was not sure.

"So where are the _pendejos_ you need to talk to?" whispered James as he leaned against a wall, waiting for Miranda's signal that the coast was clear.

"Just a few hallways down from here," answered Miranda as she checked her omni-tool again, "Though I don't expect them to give me direct answers."

"You think we're going to have to fight?" asked James, eager at the prospect of finally doing some ass-kicking for the first time in months.

Miranda smirked, she heard the excitement in his voice, "I haven't eliminated the possibility yet."

"So what was your cover story, Miss Shepard?" asked James as they slinked down the empty hallway.

"Can you be any more obvious?" hissed Miranda as she motioned for him to go around the corner.

"I could shout if you prefer that," said James wryly, he opened his mouth wide and made a sound before Miranda's small hand clamped down tightly on his lips, forcing them shut.

"Alright, I get it," huffed Miranda as she removed her hand from his mouth, he grinned at her as she scowled, they continued walking.

"So why the secrecy?" asked James quietly as they paused to let some guards pass their position, he was not sure why Miranda was being so cautious but he knew better than to question her, like with Elissa her orders were best left unchallenged.

"After all the shit that happened with Cerberus, do you really think a colony would welcome a former operative willingly into their midst, especially the daughter of the man who started Sanctuary?" asked Miranda with a condescending tone, cocking her head at James before moving into the entrance James had walked through earlier.

"Miranda, you don't have to use that tone, I'm not a neanderthal," scoffed James as he casually walked behind her, he could tell his pace was annoying her, which was the point.

"I never implied you were," sneered Miranda as she waited on the other side of the room for him, her arms crossed and her weight rested squarely on her jutted out hip.

"You're doing it now," said James, winking at her as he walked past her and into the other hallway.

Miranda rolled her eyes and followed him, still checking her omni-tool, a habit that was quickly annoying James.

"So why call yourself Shepard?" asked James as they turned left down a dimly lit hallway, James looked around and came to the conclusion they were about to come face to face with something deadly, since this is how these situations in the movies usually went.

"It's the most trusted name in the galaxy right now," said Miranda flatly, "People hear you're connected in someway to the hero of the galaxy and they tend to put their guard down, which is exactly what I needed to happen."

"So you thought hiding behind Elissa's name would guarantee you safety? And you used that same name to exploit the very people you were helping?" asked James, he felt himself getting hot under the collar, maybe Miranda had not changed much from when they first met, she was still using people to achieve her own ends.

"More or less so," said Miranda coldly, she did not mention that it had been Elissa whom suggested the idea to use her surname in the first place, she could tell by his set jaw that he was getting angry with her and she wanted it that way. The further she could be from him emotionally the better it would be for both of them.

"Was I part of your plan?" asked James through gritted teeth, he had a sinking feeling that those messages she had sent him were just another ploy.

"Yes," admitted Miranda quietly, though she wanted to tell him the opposite.

James stiffened at the response, he felt betrayed and used, and what made the feeling worse was the fact it had been done by someone he thought he could trust. He had been there on Sanctuary with Elissa and they had all followed Miranda's instructions though many others had objected, her loyalty had still been in question by many, but since Elissa had trusted her he had too and now he regretted ever doing so.

"What part did I play?" asked James tensely as he watched her open the door at the end of the corridor.

"My boyfriend," said Miranda, and the look on his face told her she needed to explain herself, "I needed a backstory, so I said I was Commander Shepard's cousin, that my father was her mother's brother and I had a boyfriend waiting for me back on Earth. The more normal I sounded to them the more they trusted me, until they questioned why I wasn't talking with anyone on Earth, so I decided to message you. I showed a few people the messages just to prove that I was communicating with someone, and that seemed to settle their unease, until the whole Sanctuary-Lawson connection was brought to light."

James continued to watch her work the lock, he had a million questions buzzing around in his head and a few insults too, but he decided to ask the obvious question first, "You said you were the daughter of Lola's mother's brother? And your last name was Shepard? How does that work out exactly, why didn't you say you were her father's brother's daughter instead?"

Miranda smirked, obviously Elissa neglected to tell most of the crew the truth behind her last name, "Because she shares her mother's surname, her father wasn't Shepard, his name was Benjamin Mitchell."

"Okay, fine, now I have some questions for Lola once I get back to Vancouver," sighed James, slightly upset that Elissa had not shared this information with him earlier, "Second question, couldn't a quick extranet search prove you were lying?"

"Extranet availability was limited on Horizon," said Miranda as she opened the door, it creaked slightly as she pushed it wider, "Anything else?"

"So all those messages and that kiss meant nothing to you?" asked James bitterly, as he went through the door.

"What was done was necessary," said Miranda forcefully, she propped the door open with a brick just in case they needed to make a quick escape.

"Glad to know where I stand with you, Operative Lawson," sneered James, he walked ahead of her, he had no idea where he was going but he did not want to walk with her. Not only had she betrayed his trust, but she had used his loyalty and affection against him, she had manipulated him into getting what she wanted just like his father had. Why he was not turning around and heading back to Vancouver he did not know, but he knew part of him wanted to protect her, and even though she had manipulated him he did not want to see her dead.

They walked in near silence, the only sounds were their footsteps and Miranda's occasional indications of where to walk, the hallway had long since divided into something of a labyrinth and Miranda seemed to know the best way to navigate the long and winding corridors. Eventually they came to a large set of doors marked, 'Overseer' and James could tell by the way Miranda was scrutinizing the label they had finally arrived at their destination.

"Why all the sneaking around if we were just going to see the overseer?" asked James as Miranda started to override the lock on the door.

"No one ever sees the overseer," muttered Miranda, "He has a great deal of assistants that take care of the day-to-day functions of the mission, but no one has ever seen him nor do they know who he is."

"Sounds familiar," scoffed James, thinking of the Illusive Man as he leaned against the wall and watched her work, despite what she had said, he could not help but admire her beauty. He had never seen her in anything but her uniform and in jeans she looked even better than he anticipated, her legs seemed longer and her ass was accentuated perfectly, and the tight sweater revealed the curve of her breasts. Her words might have hurt him, and made him look the fool, but he was still not bashful about admiring the best genes money could buy they were right there after all.

"Seems I can't get away from secrecy," sighed Miranda as she heard the lock click and she hesitantly opened the door, she looked at James who nodded and followed her inside, though the hairs on his neck told him otherwise.

They walked into a large room, there walls were of grey stone and the windows were stained glass much like the entrance, James looked around and saw a large mahogany desk and a red leather wing back chair before them. He chuckled to himself, although this overseer might be dangerous, he certainly had taste. Looking to his left he saw a door and he wondered where that led to, he was about to ask Miranda but the cold expression she had now masked herself with told him any questions he had were not going to be answered.

"Ah, Miranda Lawson, I've been expecting you," said a voice, James spun around to the direction the voice was coming from and saw a man had entered from a door he had not seen when he first entered. He glanced at Miranda and saw her eyes narrowed, she obviously was not happy with the man who was addressing her.

"And I see you've brought Lieutenant Vega," said the man, chuckling as he sat down in his chair, "Are you anticipating trouble, Miss Lawson?"

"How do you know my name?" asked Miranda, she sounded more like how James had first heard her, and the harshness of her tone sent chills down his spine.

"There's not much I don't know about you, Miss Lawson, or your companions" said the man, putting his elbows on his desk and clasping his hands together he seemed at peace despite the powerful biotic and seasoned N7 officer standing in his office.

Miranda had obviously had enough of this man already and pulled the pistol out of her waistband and pointed it at the man's head, "Either answer my questions or—"

"Or what?" interrupted the man, "You'll shoot me? You're a capable biotic, Miss Lawson, there's no need for weapons unless it's a scare tactic."

James watched Miranda's brow crease as she scowled at the man, obviously they were not dealing with a typical overseer but someone far more dangerous.

"There's no need for these tactics, Miss Lawson," said the man, now standing, "I will answer your questions, please follow me."

He started walking towards the door, looking at James and Miranda, indicating for them to follow him into the next room.

"What's the plan?" breathed James as quietly as he could while he followed Miranda.

"Get in, get information, get out," said Miranda in a stern yet quiet voice, "Maybe kill this bastard to tie up any loose ends."

James sighed heavily, "You better not be leading me into a trap."

"I wouldn't do that to you, James," said Miranda as she entered the room with the mysterious man already inside.

James entered in behind her and saw the man was pouring them what looked like a cup of tea, which struck him as odd since this situation did not really warrant hospitality. The room was like the man's office but smaller in scale, there were bookcases stuffed with books and rugs all over the marble floor, there was also a small table with a tea set set in the middle of four large chairs.

"Please, you two, sit down," said the man indicating the chairs before the fireplace and James followed Miranda's lead, taking one of the chairs closest to the exit door. The man handed Miranda a cup of tea who silently accepted it and then gave one to James.

"_Gracias_," said James, he ignored the glare Miranda was firing at him, so far the man had done nothing wrong except know Miranda's real name.

"You are far more kinder than your friend," said the man as he sat down. James tried to get a better look at his face, but the shadows that were being cast were covering up his features, so it was nearly impossible to get a good look since there was no other light except the fire in the fireplace.

"Are you going to answer Miranda's questions or are we just wasting our time?" asked James, trying to sound serious but still uneasy about the situation, since it was looking more and more like this man was innocent of anything.

"Whatever she asks, I will answer," replied the man cooly as he sipped his cup of tea.

James gave a look to Miranda, and she placed her tea on the table and looked the man squarely in the face, "Who are you and how do you know my name?"

"Fair questions," said the man, he sounded to James as if he were smiling, "I know you through our mutual connection with Cerberus, my name's Skye Turnick." He turned so his face could be seen with the help of the flames and James could see his face was badly burned and scarred, as if instead of a face he was wearing a melted plastic mask.

"Impossible," snapped Miranda, "Skye Turnick is dead, and has been for sometime."

"A useful alibi, being dead," said Turnick now standing up and pacing, "Tell me, Miss Lawson, since I know you read the reports though this was long after your break with Cerberus, did they ever recover my body?"

"No," admitted Miranda, "it was said to have been lost to the fire."

"Which is exactly what I and the Illusive Man wanted those idiots to believe," sneered Turnick, his pacing becoming faster.

"That doesn't explain how you knew Miranda was here," commented James, watching Turnick more closely now.

"You honestly think I had no idea what she looked like or what she was capable of doing?" asked Turnick, he seemed to almost be laughing at them, "I see the pictures of every single volunteer that enlists here, and I knew immediately she was here when her picture landed on my desk."

"Why're you here? Cerberus disbanded months ago," said Miranda, James could hear the slight panic in her voice, "And why did you release my information to Horizon?"

"I'm here to watch over the rebuilding of these colonies," said Turnick, "I watch to see if anything of interest creeps up such as a long forgotten experiment or facility that Cerberus was once in charge of. If these creep up, then I send out my own team to secure whatever it is."

"It sounds like . . . you're trying to rebuild Cerberus," said James, he could now hear the panic in his own voice though he kept it more under control.

Turnick turned to James, "You're smarter than your dossier indicated, Lieutenant, I'm rather impressed."

"Why did you tell those people on Horizon who I actually am?" repeated Miranda.

"They deserved to know, wouldn't you say so, Miss Lawson?" said Turnick, his tone patronizing as he faced her, "I mean, you were in charge of their defenses, don't you think they needed to know who exactly was protecting them?"

"You bastard, you did it to get me away from there, didn't you?" sneered Miranda, James watched her fist start to glow with a blue aura.

"I might have," shrugged Turnick, "or someone else might have asked me to release that information for an entirely different purpose. Either way, I'm done entertaining you, Miss Lawson. You have some things to answer for as well."

Suddenly, armed guards came from nowhere and opened fire, James jumped up and pulled his pistol out of his jacket and started firing back, Miranda stood as well and in a quick second she biotically slammed the guards and Turnick against the wall and they fell to the floor.

"Run!" shouted Miranda as the guards began to get up off the floor and James followed her out of the room only to hear sirens going off throughout the mission, when they reentered the office the ran past the mysterious door only to hear it open and the sound of heavy footsteps propelled James to run faster. When shots began hitting the walls and bouncing off the floor, he turned his head slightly and fired back at them all while still running at the same pace as Miranda, he smirked when he killed one of the leading guards.

"James, the door!" shouted Miranda as she threw a ball of biotic energy at the men shooting at them, tripping a few of them and those behind them stumbled on their fallen partners.

James looked ahead and saw the door Miranda had propped open with the lone brick only about one hundred feet away, he knew what she was thinking, if they stopped for a second to open it the guards would be on them in no time. He thought of a plan, he looked to her and rolled his eyes, for all her smarts she seemed to have neglected the fact she could just blow the door off its hinges with a well placed biotic shot.

"Miranda, blow it away!" shouted James as more shots rang out in the narrow hallway. She gave him a skeptical look before realizing what he meant, she immediately created a small ball of energy in her hands and fired it at the door, hitting it squarely in the center. The metal door folded in on itself and flew out of the doorway, James and Miranda then ran quickly through the frame and she created a biotic barrier that kept the guards at bay as they ran out of the hallway and back to the entrance of the mission. They kept running, not stopping until they were through the giant oak doors and on the outside. James looked around, expecting to see police or something more sinister, but he was pleasantly surprised to find no one waiting for them, he saw a metal pipe on the ground and went back to the mission door, he slid the pipe between the door handles and started to bend it. Miranda saw what he was doing and using her biotics, she finished the job for him.

"Now what?" panted Miranda, as she sat down on the concrete floor.

"We get to my skycar," said James and he jogged down the stairs, looking at Miranda who seemed too exhausted to move another inch. He rolled his eyes and went back to her, he extended his hand to her, and she looked up at him questioningly before taking it and standing.

"How far is your skycar?" asked Miranda as they started jogging in the direction of the alley had had parked his car in.

"Less than half a block away now," answered James, still wrestling with his conscience about having assisted Miranda despite her lies.

"Where are we going from there?" asked Miranda as they rounded the corner and found James' skycar still in the condition he had left it in.

"I don't know about you, but I really need something to eat," said James as he ducked into his car, he watched Miranda get into the passenger's side of the car.

"Same here," said Miranda quietly, then he realized that they had forgotten to grab her rucksack full of her clothes and supplies.

"Was there anything important in it?" asked James as he started driving, "In your rucksack, I mean."

"Just clothes, any and all information I have is on my omni-tool," said Miranda, she was now resting her head against the cool glass. James glanced over at her, she looked exhausted, he had neglected to notice earlier that she had dark circles underneath her eyes and her face was now somewhat gaunt.

"There's a good diner a few miles away, if you're hungry," said Miranda pointing north and James nodded, his mind racing as he drove towards the direction Miranda had indicated, he knew he needed to talk with Lola, and he needed to do it soon.


End file.
